For what it’s worth (not much), the Dodgers are once again favorites to win the World Series.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Sports betting is an ever-growing culture in the sporting world. What used to only reside mostly in Las Vegas has shifted into a mainstream environment. The spark? Young people.
The betting wave is here
More and more young people are getting into sports betting. They are the main drive for all of these apps and online platforms that allow users to bet, even in real-time, on the outcome of whatever they want.
Looking for a longterm investment? You can bet on the winners of the 2022 World Series. All you need to do is guess the winner and you win whatever odds the sports books are offering. Sounds easy enough right?
What does being the favorites mean
The important that you need to know is that the Dodgers are the favorites to win the World Series in 2022. One might think that this is a great sign of things to come for the boys in blue but history has taught us that this means virtually nothing.
| 2022 World Series Champion Odds | Via Caesars Sports Book |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +550 |
| Houston Astros | +700 |
| Atlanta Braves | +900 |
| New York Yankees | +1000 |
The Dodgers have been favorites to win it all since 2018. That actually might differ based on whatever sports book you were using at the time. But for the most part, the Dodgers have been the favorites to win the World Series every year since they lost the 2017 World Series.
The Dodgers’ dynasty on the horizon
In 2018, they made it to the World Series but lost to the Red Sox. In 2019, they looked poised to win it all but a Kershaw implosion had the Dodgers packing in the NLDS. The sports books got it right in 2022 and the Dodgers finally lifted their first Commissioner’s Trophy since 1988. In 2021, well we all know what happened.
In those years, the Dodgers beat out the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox, Astros, Padres and Brewers for favorites to win the World Series at the start of the season. Sometimes the odds were very close like in 2020 when some books even favored the Yankees to win it all.
The 2022 roster is as uncertain as ever
Either way, what makes this year different is that the Dodgers could have a relatively new-look roster at the start of the season. Sports books factor in those possibilities when they create these odds so that means that they believe the Dodgers will be able to sign and re-sign some big names.
The Dodgers could realistically be looking at starting the season without Seager, Scherzer, Kershaw and Jansen since all of them either declined or weren’t offered a qualifying offer. They could also still miss out on Chris Taylor and big name arms because of the money they currently have committed to Bauer for next season ($34 million).
Big spending is hopefully on the way
Friedman has hinted that they might be willing to go over the luxury tax threshold which will definitely put them in play for one or 2 impact players. The question is who they will prioritize first? My worthless opinion would be Chris Taylor, Scherzer and Robbie Ray. The Dodgers need 2 big arms at the minimum and I don’t include Kershaw in this because he has every right to want to go to the Rangers to be with his family.
The sports books making the Dodgers the favorite again is a somewhat good sign. In 2 of the last 4 years that they have been the favorites, they the Dodgers have at least made it to the World Series. The question is whether the Dodgers will break the bank to go for it one more time.
